Daily Digest - February 6: Putting the Brakes on the High-Tech Economy

Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford explains why a proposed law barring municipal fiber-optic networks in Kansas, like similar bills passed in 19 other states, would put the U.S. further behind on building the infrastructure needed for high-tech industries of the future.

Breaking: Union Rule Despised by Right-Wingers Now Roaring Back to Life (Salon)

Josh Eidelson reports on the return of a rule requiring speedier union elections, quoting Roosevelt Institute Fellow Dorian Warren to point out that the rule isn't exactly radical. But employers are unhappy, because it allows less time to convince employees to reject organized labor.

Roosevelt Take: Bryce Covert interviewed Dorian about his research on workplace anti-union campaigns and the original version of this National Labor Relations Board rule from 2011.

Ryan Cooper calls out Republicans for distorting the Congressional Budget Office's prediction that Obamacare will lead to people choosing to work less. Reducing labor supply will decrease unemployment and raise wages, and the GOP hasn't offered many alternatives.

Jared Bernstein asks why it seems that the only thing anyone is talking about after the release of the CBO's "Budget and Economic Outlook" report is health care, when the report is really a warning about our disturbingly slow economic growth.

What to Watch on Jobs Day: Yes, We Should Still Be Worried About the Labor Force Participation Rate (Working Economics)

Heidi Shierholz writes that beating December's job growth is a low bar for the January jobs report, which will come out Friday morning. She's more concerned about the potential drop in the labor force participation rate due to the end of extended unemployment insurance.

Tim Fernholz suggests that with Republicans unable to agree on a demand in this round of debt ceiling battles, it's possible that they've just ceded the war. He thinks it's likely that there will just be a clean debt ceiling increase in the coming weeks.

Jamelle Bouie points to the new farm bill as an example of everything that can go wrong with bipartisan governance. Hundreds of thousands of families will face painful food stamp cuts, and it isn't even clear who they can vote for or against for a better outcome.